Quadrant latch for dutch doors



May 29, 1962 A. c. WILSON QUADRANT LATCH FOR DUTCH DOORS Filed Dec. 11, 1959 INVENTOR W 53 MM WWBM ' ATTORNEYS Unitcd States Patent ,5 QUADRANT LATCH FOR DUTCH DOORS Alfred C. Wilson, Northbridge, Mass, assignor to The H. B. Ives Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 858,988 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-241) This invention relates to a quadrant latch for so-called Dutch doors, the term being employed to refer to a door divided horizontally into two sections so that the upper section may swing to open and closed position independently of the lower. In securing such doors in closed position a lock or latch is provided upon one thereof, and some type of fastening is employed to secure the other door to the one held closed by such lock or latch. The present invention relates particularly to a fastening or securing lock or latch to secure one of the doors to the other.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings a latch member of quadrant shape is provided pivoted to one door (the lower in this instance) on a horizontal pivot so that it may swing in a vertical plane. This quadrant member consists of a pair of angularly related arms diverging from the pivot point of the member, the outer ends of the arms being connected by a member of generally arcuate shape. Upon the other door is provided a keeper which, as illustrated, is in the form of a headed stud adapted to be engaged by a cam surface on the arcuate member of the quadrant to lock the two doors firmly together when the quadrant is moved about its hinge.

Such locking "members are normally mounted adjacent the free edge of the door (the "edge remote from the hinged edge), and it is desirable, when the quadrant is swung about its pivot, that the quadrant move over the surface of the door toward the hinged edge and not toward the free edge. Therefore, if the cam surface upon the arcuate member of the quadrant is unidirectional, a separate structure would be required for doors hinged at the left-hand edge and those hinged at the right-hand edge. It is, however, a special feature of the present invention to provide a quadrant which may be used upon doors of either hand and which quadrant may be swung in either direction depending upon the position of its mounting upon the door.

To this end the quadrant is provided with two cam surfaces, one extending from each edge thereof toward an intermediate point, at which point a stop is provided to limit the movement of the quadrant in one direction or the other. These cam surfaces are oppositely directed so as to effect a camming action when the quadrant is moved in such a direction that the keeper is advanced from the edge of the quadrant toward the intermediate point where the stop member is located. Also upon each of the arms of the quadrant are provided loops or bridge portions to permit the keeper to pass therethrough so that the quadrant may be entirely disengaged from the keeper.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved quadrant latch for Dutch doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Dutch door latch or lock which may be used upon doors of either hand without change.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lock or latch for Dutch doors in the form of a pivoted quadrant, tthe quadrant consisting of two radial arms diverging from the pivot point, the outer ends of the arms being connected by a member of arcuate shape having oppositely directed cam surfaces facing the pivot of the quadrant.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ice quadrant lock for Dutch doors of the character described above wherein each of the arms is provided adjacent its outer end with a loop or bridge structure to permit complete release of the quadrant from the keeper.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a conventional Dutch door having a quadrant lock embodying my invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the lock;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lock as shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 2.

To illustrate one embodiment of the invention I have shown in a conventional manner a Dutch door comprising a lower section 10 and an upper section 11, these sections being hinged at their left-hand edges, as shown at 12 and 13. The upper edge of the lower section and lower edge of the uppersection meet along the horizontal line designated by the numeral 14.

Secured to one of the doors, the lower in this instance, is a supporting plate 15 having a headed pivot pin 16 secured thereto. Rotatably mounted upon the pin 16 is a latch or locking member of quadrantal shape, this member comprising a pair of radially directed arms 17 and 18 diverging from the pivot 16 and a member 19 of arcuate shape connecting the outer ends of these arms, the three members forming an open quadrant.

As illustrated, the lock is secured adjacent the free edge of the door sections, as shown in FIG. 2, the free edges being designated by the numerals 20* and 21 respectively for the lower and upper sections. A spring washer 22 (FIG. 4) may be disposed between the quadrant member and the plate 15 so as to provide frictional means for holding the quadrant in position to which it is moved without free play. Upon the arcuate member 19 is provided a knob or button 23 designed to be manually engaged so that the quadrant may be readily swung about its pivot 16.

Upon the other door section is secured a keeper plate 24 having a keeper member thereon which in this instance comprises a pin 25 having an enlarged head 26, the head having a tapered inner surface 27. On the inner or lower edge of the member 19 are provided cam surfaces 29 and 30. These surfaces are substantially alike except that they are oppositely directed. In other words, the inner edge of each of these surfaces, these edges being designated at 31 and 32, are more remote from the pivot 16 at their outer ends than at their inner ends adjacent the intermediate portion of the member where the knob 23 is secured.

It will also be noted that the surfaces 29 and 30 are beveled rearwardly and downwardly, as shown at 33 in FIG. 4, so that they will snugly engage the tapered surface 27 upon the keeper member 25. Also a projection or stop in the form of an inwardly directed arrow 35 is provided at an approximately central point on the inner surface of the quadrant between the cam surfaces 29 and '30, and upon each side of this stop is a recess to receive the shank portion of the keeper 25 so as to releasably hold the quadrant in place with respect to the keeper, these recesses being designated by the numerals 36 and 37.

In order that the quadrant may be entirely released from the keeper to be swung from the full-line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted-line position shown in this figure and in order that the same structure may be used for a door of either hand, each of the arms 17 and 18 is provided with a looped or bridge portion, as shown at 40 and 41. These portions are sufiiciently offset outwardly from the arcuate member 19 and the remaining portions of the arms of the quadrant so as to permit the head 26 of the keeper 25 to pass therebelow.

As illustrated in the drawings, the quadrant is mounted upon a door of the left hand, that is one hinged upon the left-hand side, and in this instance the plate 24 will be so mounted that the keeper will lie between the stop 35 and the arm 18 when the quadrant is in the position shown in FIG. 2. If the device is used with a door of the other hand or one hinged at the right-hand side, the keeper 25 would lie on the other side of the stop 35.

In operation the quadrant would normally lie in the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, and the upper section of the door would be unlocked. When the upper section is closed and it is desired to lock it, the quadrant would be swung by engagement of the knob 23 about its pivot 16 in a clockwise direction to the position shown in full lines in this figure. During this movement the head 26 of the keeper would pass below the loop 41 so as to be received within the quadrant between the arms thereof and be engaged by the cam surface 31. As this surface rides over the keeper its inner edge will gradually approach the adjacent surface of the keeper and, if the parts are correctly positioned upon the doors, the keeper will be wedged tightly within the recess 36 when movement of the quadrant will be limited by the stop 35.

The same operation is present when the device is mounted upon a door hinged at the right except that the keeper will be upon the other side of the stop 35. In this instance the quadrant would be swung in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 to approximately the position shown in full lines in order to lock the upper section of the door.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A latch for a Dutch door comprising a member pivoted to one section of the door, said member comprising angularly related arms diverging from the pivot point and having an arcuate element connecting the outer ends of the arms remote from the pivot, a keeper member on the other door section, a stop member provided upon the inner edge of said arcuate element at an intermediate point thereon, said edge receding from said pivot point in both directions away from said stop member to provide cam surfaces, either of which is adapted to engage said keeper member, and each of said arms being provided with an outwardly offset portion adjacent its outer end to permit passage of the keeper member thereunder, said otfset portions connecting the arcuate element to the outer portions of the arms.

2. A quadrant latch for a Dutch door comprising upper and lowerisections, said latch including a sectorshaped member pivoted to one section of the door, said member comprising angularly related arms diverging from the pivot point and an arcuate element connecting the outer ends of the arms remote from the pivot, each of said arms having a fiat portion adjacent the pivot point and being provided with an outwardly offset loop portion adjacent its junction with said arcuate member connecting the arcuate portion with said flat portions, a keeper member secured to the other section of the door and adapted to pass under either of said loop portions to be engaged by the inner edge of said arcuate element, a stop member on said edge projecting toward said pivot substantially midway between the arms, and said edge presenting oppositely directed cam members on each side of said stop member and extending toward said arms, and each of said edges receding from the pivot point in a direction toward the adjacent arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,408 Loetscher Mar. 31, 1896 974,116 Bray Nov. 1, 1910 1,943,927 Phillips Jan. 16, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 729,591 Germany Dec. 18, 1942 

